


Ballroom dancing, icebergs, and Nicholas Cage

by seren_ccd



Series: we're not genre-specific here [2]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-08
Updated: 2016-03-25
Packaged: 2018-05-25 13:32:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6196939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seren_ccd/pseuds/seren_ccd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The cinematic education of Steve Rogers continues.  Steve clearly has a good handle on the sci-fi and scary movie tropes.  Let's see how he does with the other genres.  aka Five times Steve and Darcy watch 'the classics according to Darcy Lewis'.  Sequel to 'Mega-Sharks, zombies and Paul Bunyon - oh my!'.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. ROUSes

**Author's Note:**

> So, this has been sitting in my WIP folder for, oh let's see, at least a year or two. I'm posting it in the hopes that I'll actually finish it. I have chapters one, three, and four written; which leaves chapters two and five to go! Apologies for the very short first chapter!
> 
> You don't need to have read 'Mega-Sharks, zombies and Paul Bunyon' to read this, but it might help. This is very firmly pre-Age of Ultron and Winter Soldier.

“Oh, sweet zombie Jesus!”

Steve raised his head. “Darcy? All right in there?”

“No!” she called back. “I’ve found the vermin situation that dude mentioned.”

“Mice?” Steve said smiling and making his way to the back room of the old apartment they were helping to re-fit in a community just outside Dallas.

“More like R-O-U-S’s,” Darcy said grimly.

He ducked his head into the room. “R-what’s?”

“R-O-U-S’s,” Darcy said from her perch on top of a recliner that had definitely seen better days. “’Rodents of Unusual Size’ and we have definitely got to move on from sci-fi movies and get you watching some of the classics.”

“I’ll bring the pizza, you bring the movie,” he said coming into the room. She smiled brightly at him and he smiled back forgetting for a moment what he’d come into the room for. “Ah, you mentioned rodents?”

“Yeah,” Darcy said frowning and scanning the floor. “Rats, not mice. Big ones. And not cool ones like the ones from the Secret of NIMH which, true confession time, yes, I definitely had a crush on Justin, the Captain of the Guard. But, no! We are talking massive creatures with long teeth that could easily knock out Cary Elwes in one blow.”

“The only thing I got from that is the fact that you already have a precedent for liking captains,” Steve said smirking.

Darcy arched a brow at him and said, “It’s the yummy shoulder-to-waist ratio you fellas tend to have. But, seriously, Steve. They’re huge.”

“You do know they like to nest in fabrics?” he mentioned eyeing the recliner she was standing on.

Her eyes widened and she looked down. “Oh, for –“

“Need that shoulder-to-waist ratio to give you a hand?” he asked.

“Yes, please.”

He stepped forward and opened his arms. She grinned and then hopped into his arms, kissing his chin as he swung her away from the chair.

“Careful, Cap,” she said still grinning. “I might swoon from all this dashing chivalry.”

“There’s a living room filled with magazines that need to be thrown away, so swoon after we’re done,” he said returning her kiss by pecking her on the nose.

Darcy sighed theatrically and went limp in his arms, the back of her hand coming to rest on her forehead. “And he has a Puritan work ethic, be still my heart.”

“Such a drama llama,” he said, hoping he got the phrase right.

He must have because she let out a peal of laughter and kicked her feet. “Yes! My modern influence is sinking in! Woohoo!”

Steve laughed and set her down on her feet. She just grinned up at him.

“Magazines. Living room. Go,” he said. “I’ll handle the ROUS’s.”

“As you wish,” she said bouncing on her feet to kiss him properly. 

He sank into it for a moment, relishing the feel of her waist under his hands and the press of her mouth against his and thanked the universe for letting him have this moment and this girl.

Then, when the kiss ended, Darcy headed into the living room and he went off to battle the small beasties.

For the record - Steve loved _The Princess Bride_ and agreed with Darcy that Buttercup needed a heck of a lot more stuff to do and that Inigo would make an excellent Dread Pirate Roberts, but only if Fezzik comes on board as First Mate.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm afraid I spoil the ending of Moulin Rouge in this one - sorry!

Steve watched as the mayor and her wife started up the first waltz in the small New Jersey town’s newly refurbished dance hall. He took a deep breath and exhaled pure salty seaside air. He looked up and down the old pier and for a moment, if he squinted, he could see things like they were Before. Back when he was a good two feet shorter and when a deep breath might send him coughing for breath, as opposed to now when it just energized him.

He blinked and the Now returned in full force, but it no longer stung. Instead, it just made him smile a little. His smile grew as he watched the rest of the town join in on the dance floor while the orchestra played music he almost recognized.

“You going to ask me to dance or what, soldier?” a cheerful voice asked behind him.

He turned and, upon seeing Darcy all dolled up, he had to remind himself that super-soldier or not, he did actually need to breathe.

“You look amazing,” he said stepping towards her.

She grinned and twirled, the full skirt of her green dress flared out around her calves which looked incredible in some black patent pumps. She came to a stop and pressed a hand to her décolletage as she beamed up at him.

“You like?” she said. “Phyllis loaned this to me from their costume department. I think it was used in a production of _Guys and Dolls_.”

“I have no idea what that is, but I approve,” he said sliding a hand over her waist. “Really, Darcy, you look beautiful.”

“Such a charmer,” she said. “You said that the other day when I was in overalls. And since no one ever looks beautiful in overalls, I’m not sure you’re the most unbiased fella.”

He just smiled and pulled her closer. “I’m not, but that doesn’t mean I’m not wrong.”

Darcy blushed a little and reached up to straighten his tie. “You all right? You looked a little nostalgic just now.”

“I suppose I was,” he said moving to stand beside her as they watched the dancers on the floor. “I guess I still have these moments where I just miss what I never had.”

He felt her nod. “I can’t even begin to imagine how you feel, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable to feel kind of bitter about the whole thing.”

“I don’t know if it’s bitter, exactly.” He caught her glance and chuckled. “Yeah, okay, I was definitely bitter at first. Now, it’s…” He sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s just what you called it earlier: nostalgia.”

She leaned into him and rested her head just over his heart and he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. 

“Would you like to dance, Darcy?” he asked, his lips still pressed to her head.

He pulled back just as her head whipped up to look at him. “Yes! I’d love to,” she said smiling widely. “Are you sure?”

“Well, how protected are your feet in those shoes?” he asked.

She winked. “Don’t you worry about my feet, captain. I’m pretty darn nimble when I want to be.”

“In that case.” He held out his hand and when she took it, he walked her to the dance floor just as the orchestra struck up something slow and jazzy.

“Oooh, Gershwin,” Darcy said putting her hand on his shoulder. “Very nice. You’re in luck. All you need to do now is sway.”

“I think I can manage that,” he murmured as he pulled her in close, his hand spread flat on her lower back. He felt her shiver and tucked his head slightly so that his mouth hovered above her ear.

They swayed in time to the music and when the slow song segued into a faster one, Steve stopped and raised his head.

“Oh, no, you don’t,” Darcy said laughing and keeping him in place. “It’s not hard. We can still sway, just a bit faster. Come on.”

Steve followed her lead and managed to keep the rhythm, every now and then looking up to see the other couples swirling around them. One even did a complicated twirling dip thing that had the audience shouting and clapping.

“I don’t think that’s in the cards for me,” he said laughing.

“I think you might be right. Don’t worry, no new steps, I promise - ooh! I just thought of a new movie to watch!” she said smiling up at him. “ _Strictly Ballroom_. It’s fantastic. It’s Baz Luhrman’s best film ever. Which to some people is probably considered sacrilege and I’m not going to deny that _Romeo and Juliet_ and _Moulin Rouge_ didn’t have a serious impact on impressionable, young Darcy. But, _Strictly Ballroom_ is the one I always go back to when I need a pick me up involving ballroom dancing, funny Australians, and the best part? No one dies of consumption in the end.”

“Always a plus,” Steve said smiling down at her. 

“I know,” she said nodding. “I think you’ll like it. I haven’t steered you wrong yet, have I?”

He shook his head. “I trust you, Darcy.”

Her eyes widened and he almost froze, mid-sway, but just pulled her a little closer and pressed his hand on her lower back.

“I’m glad,” she said quietly. “I want you to trust me. I trust you.”

Despite the upbeat tempo coming from the orchestra, Steve bent his head down once more and they continued to sway gently.

After the dance, they headed back to the guesthouse they'd been staying in. In reality, it was an apartment over the mayor's garage, but it had two bedrooms and a couch that Darcy labelled as the 'squishiest thing she's ever had the pleasure of putting her butt on and do you think that Madam Mayor would sell it to me?'

Steve got out of his suit and into some sweatpants and a t-shirt and when he emerged out of his room, Darcy's already curled up on the couch, tapping away on her laptop. Her hair was loose around her face, but she'd scrubbed her make-up off and was in some loose pants and a baggy t-shirt with the Hulk's face emblazoned across the front of it with a thought bubble that read _Hulk, smash!_

He just shook his head and sat down beside her.

She gave him her patented Darcy grin that very clearly stated: 'It's okay if you don't like this movie, I'm not going to judge you. But it will definitely break my heart if you don't like this.'

He just grinned back and lifted his arm up. She happily hit play and curled up under his arm, snuggling up beside him.

As per usual with her film choices - he liked it. It's funny and fast and the music is wonderful. The pageantry reminded him of his time on the show circuit and he appreciated the fact that the cast had to wear all those sequins and pancake make-up.

When the two leads started to dance on a rooftop, Darcy sighed and rubbed her cheek against his chest.

"You like this part?" he asked.

"I love this part," she said. "I love that they're doing this incredible dance and experiencing this life-changing romance all while they're in a simple part of town and its overcast." She pressed a hand to his heart and looked up. "I love the sweeping stuff, but there's something wonderful about it all happening in a run of the mill location, you know?"

He thought about how they've gotten closer in all these small towns across the country and nodded. "Yeah, I know. I also know that I really want to kiss you, but I know how you feel about unnecessary interruptions of your movie-"

Her hand covered his mouth. "You kissing me is the definition of _necessary_."

He smiled and kissed her hand, when she lowered it, he captured her grinning mouth with his.

And then it's just endless minutes of lazy kisses and her nails scratching gently on his scalp. His neck started to ache from their position, so he slowly, carefully lowered her to the couch where she sank into the soft cushions and pulled him on top of her.

He groaned when she rolled her hips beneath him and, careful to not crush her, her retaliated by grinding his own hips down. 

“Oh, yeah,” she muttered while his mouth drifted down her neck. “That’s good.”

He lifted his mouth to hers again and she was the one to set a brutal pace of frantic, open-mouthed kisses that he enthusiastically returned, while his hand smoothed down her waist to the back of her thigh. With only the gentlest of tugs from his hand, she curled her thigh up over his hip and rolled lushly beneath him.

Knowing he was fast approaching the limits of his self-control, he said, “God, Darcy. Is this-? Can we--?”

“Yes,” she said sliding her hands down to cup his ass. “Yes, we definitely can. Now, in fact.”

His hand smoothed back up and was just slipping under her shirt, when his phone rang.

They froze. 

Steve blinked and cursed when he realized it was the ringtone for a ‘wheels up’ order. He sat up and very determinedly didn’t look at Darcy who was all rumpled and red-lipped and soft and far too inviting.

He grabbed his phone. “Yeah?”

There was a pause, before Natasha said, “Sorry to interrupt, but we’ve got a situation in DC. ETA for the Quinjet to pick you up is ten minutes.”

“I’ll be there,” he bit out scrubbing a hand over his face.

“Say ‘hi’ to Darcy for me,” she said before hanging up.

He ended the call and looked at Darcy, who was looking as inviting as he thought she would.

"Well, that timing sucks," she said as she sat up.

“Natasha says ‘hi,” he told her.

“I’m sure she does,” she said. “Tell her to schedule these emergencies around our make-out sessions next time.”

"Yeah," he said as he chuckled and he had to take a moment before he got to his feet. "We’re off to DC. No idea how -"

"Long this will take, it's okay, I know," she said smiling. "Go save the day. If you come back tonight, wake me up when you get in, okay?"

"I don't want to disturb you," he said.

"Steven," she said firmly. "Wake. Me. Up."

"Yes, ma'am." He pressed a kiss to her cheek, then after changing into his uniform, he was out the door.

* * *

The situation wasn’t as much of a challenge, and so it was close to 5am when he let himself into the apartment. Walking quietly, he headed to Darcy’s room where he found her curled up in a ball with her phone resting on the pillow beside her head.

He sat down on the bed and ran a hand over her hair lightly. She stirred and blinked a little. Squinting, she stared at Steve and he handed her glasses to her. Once they were on, she looked at him properly and smiled.

“Hey,” she said groggily. “Everyone in one piece?”

“Yep.” He brushed her hair out of her eyes.

“And the Lincoln Monument?”

“Still standing.”

“Good job.” She patted his arm. Then frowned and sat up. “Hey, what’s this?”

Her fingers lightly brushed against a cut on his forehead. 

He smiled a little. “Just a scratch.”

“Uh hunh,” she said sounding more awake. “And what was it three hours ago?”

“A bigger scratch,” he said.

She rolled her eyes. “Such a boy.” It was said with such affection, Steve’s heart threatened to beat out of his chest. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to just beneath the cut and said, “To make it better.”

“Thank you,” he said faintly. “Go back to sleep.”

“What time is it?”

“Early,” he said. “You’ve got at least another two hours before you need to be up.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Nah, may as well get up now. We can hit the road early. Did I tell you we’re headed to Georgia? We’re building some houses with Habitat for Humanity.”

“Never been to Georgia,” he said.

“Me neither,” she said looping her arms around his neck. “I hope its peach season. I’ll make a cobbler.”

“Sounds good,” he said curling a hand over her waist. “I’m sorry we didn’t get to finish the movie.”

She hmmed and pressed a kiss to his mouth. “That is why God invented Netflix. We can pick up where we left off later. In fact…” She pressed a longer kiss to his mouth and he returned it. “I’m hoping we can pick up where _we_ left off later, as well.”

“I think I can manage that,” he said before letting her pull him down to her for a decent fifteen minutes of kissing before they got ready to head to Georgia.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually wrote and shared this chapter a few years back on my LiveJournal (which I still use!), so it might look familiar to a couple of you.

Steve looked up from his omelette and grinned at the sight of Darcy sliding into the booth across from him, her hoodie pulled up and her sunglasses on.  
  
“Morning, sunshine,” he said cheerfully.  
  
She held up a hand and croaked, “Rules.”  
  
“Rules?”  
  
“There are rules that people who don’t get hangovers have to comply with around people who _do_ get hangovers,” she said, her voice low and scratchy.  
  
“Ah. Those rules. Please continue,” he said still grinning.  
  
“Rule number one?” She tipped her sunglasses down the slope of her nose and peered at him over the frames. “No being cheerful. Cheerfulness is not appropriate and must be suppressed at all times.”  
  
Steve chuckled, but covered it up with a cough when she glared at him. “Ma’am, yes, ma’am. No cheerfulness.”  
  
“No patronizing either,” she said still glaring, but the corners of her mouth were turning upwards.  
  
“I’d never patronize you, Darcy,” he said putting his hand on his heart.  
  
Darcy snorted then groaned, holding her head. “Ow. And congratulations, Steve. With that comment, you’re finally well on your way to being a true smart alec.”  
  
“Not smartass?”  
  
“Not yet. Alec first, then ass.” She gave Sue, their usual waitress a smile when she brought over a large cup of coffee. “You’re a goddess, Sue.”  
  
“That’s what I’ve been told,” Sue said. “Think you can manage food?”  
  
Darcy took a sip of her coffee, tilted her head to the side and then shuddered. “Not quite yet. Thanks, though.”  
  
Sue patted Darcy’s shoulder and went back to the register.  
  
Darcy waved a hand at Steve. “Eat. Imma go to the ladies and stick my head under the faucet.”  
  
“Don’t drown,” Steve said around a mouthful of buttermilk biscuit.  
  
“Such a gentleman,” she muttered, hip-checking his shoulder as she passed.  
  
Steve continued to grin while he ate his breakfast. He’d just lifted his glass of orange juice when two men in masks burst into the front door yelling, “Everybody be cool! This is a robbery!”  
  
They carried knives instead of guns and looked twitchy and nervous. Steve slowly put his orange juice down.  
  
He could most definitely take the two of them if they both came at him, but they were doing a good job of staying separated from each other. Even if he could get one down, what kind of damage could the other one do?  
  
He carefully wiped his mouth with his napkin and prayed to God that Darcy would just stay in the bathroom.  
  
Naturally, she walked out of the bathroom, her hoodie off her head and her sunglasses tucked into the front of her shirt, just as the second robber walked past.  
  
They stared at each other for a second and before Darcy could do anything, the robber grabbed Darcy and spun her around, her back to his chest. Steve jumped to his feet.  
  
“Stay cool, bro!” the robber yelled at him, his hand going to Darcy’s neck and pointing the knife at Steve. “Or the lady gets hurt.”  
  
Steve held up his hands. “I’m cool, I’m cool.”  
  
“You okay over there, pumpkin?” the guy at the register called.  
  
“Just peachy, honey bunny,” the guy holding Darcy said.  
  
“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me,” Darcy said rolling her eyes. “ _Pulp Fiction_? The 90s are over, dude.”  
  
Pumpkin shook her a little by the throat and said, “Tarantino is timeless and shut the fuck up.”  
  
Steve’s vision went red. “Let her go.”  
  
“Or what?” the guy said sarcastically.  
  
“Oh, my God,” Darcy said before Steve could say anything. “I’m too hungover for this.”  
  
She slammed her elbow back into the guy’s mid-section. His breath whooshed out as he doubled over slightly. Darcy stomped her heavy-booted foot down on the guy’s foot, he yelped and she spun around and slammed the flat of her palm straight at the guy’s nose. There was a spectacular whimper and then she kneed him right in the groin.  
  
The guy fell to the floor groaning.  
  
Steve turned just as Honey Bunny rushed him and laid him out with a flat hand to the chest. Honey Bunny thudded to the floor.  
  
Honey Bunny stared up at Steve’s very angry face and cringed. “Be cool?” he whimpered.  
  
“Not a chance,” Steve said through gritted teeth.

* * *

After the cops had come and gone and Pumpkin (Davy) and Honey Bunny (Stewart) had been revealed to be the local bad boys of the town, Steve made his way over to Darcy who was nursing a cup of coffee. (“On the house,” Sue’d said. “I’ve been wanting to punch that Davy in the face for years.”)  
  
“Well, that’s one way to cure a hangover,” Darcy said watching the cops pull away. “What a pair of gomers. Tarantino purists are just nuts. I’d considered showing some of his stuff to you, but now? No way. I mean, did you see-”  
  
“Why did you do that?” he interrupted, not recognizing his own voice that had gone cold and quiet.  
  
Darcy looked up at Steve in surprise and blinked at him.  
  
“Steve?”  
  
“Why did you _do_ that?” he asked again leaning forward, his hands clenched at his sides.  
  
Darcy frowned. “Why are you all Hulk-smash at me? I just defended myself. What happened to ‘using every bit of power in your arsenal’?”  
  
“That’s different,” he said his voice rising and completely unable to stop it or the anger and helplessness he still felt after seeing her in trouble. “I was there. I had it under control. You just needed to—“  
  
“To what? Sit back and wait to be rescued?” Darcy set her coffee mug down on the concrete step with a clack as she got to her feet to look him in the face. (Well, look him in the chest.) “He didn’t have a strong hold on me, I could tell he hadn’t done any fighting before and he didn’t have a weapon on him. I struck when he was vulnerable and saved my own butt. What’s the big deal?”  
  
“The big deal is that you could have been hurt, Darcy!” he said looming over her and disregarding the fact that everything she’d just said was true. “You are not prepared to be in these kinds of situations.”  
  
“Says who?” she retorted.  
  
“Says me,” he said still looming over her and feeling more and more irrational. “You could have seriously hurt yourself. Where did you learn that anyway?”  
  
“ _Miss Congeniality_ ,” Darcy said sarcastically. “Sandra Bullock used it to kick Benjamin Bratt’s ass.”  
  
“A movie? Jesus, Darcy! Are you insane?” Steve grabbed her shoulders.  
  
Darcy pushed him away. “Don’t grab me, you big jerk! And don’t you dare tell me what to do, Mr I-Jump-Into-Extreme-Situations-Daily-Without-a-Thought-to-the-Consequences.”  
  
“It’s my job! I get to take those risks. I’m _made_ to take those risks,” he said. “You aren’t. Don’t ever, ever do something like that again. How could you be so stupid?”  
  
Darcy went absolutely still and tiny alarm bells went off in Steve’s head.  
  
“Did you just call me stupid?” she asked quietly.  
  
“Yes! Sometimes you just don’t think and that’s stupid, Darcy,” he said, ignoring the voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like Tony yelling at him to shut the heck up and back down before she slapped him. “You have to _think_.”  
  
“I _have_ to think? Well, how about this for a thought!” She pushed him and he took a step back when he saw the shine of tears in her eyes, but not hearing a single waver in her voice.  
  
_Oh, no_ he thought. _Steve, you dummy._  
  
“I actually learned that move from Agent Hill who made me practice it over a hundred times before I promised to ever use it in the real world.” She pushed him and he took another step back wondering if there was any way he could take back every single word he’d said in the last ten minutes.  
  
“Also! I _think_ that you’re being a massive, macho man who needs to never, ever, _ever_ call me stupid again.” She pushed him once again and he stepped back, a pain flaring up in his chest at the sight of a tear actually making its way down her cheek.  
  
“Darcy-“ he tried to say, his voice breaking.  
  
“No,” she said firmly. “I’m too angry. Just – don’t talk to me.”  
  
She turned around and walked back towards the motel and Steve watched her go. Tony’s voice popped up again in his head and solemnly declared that Steve was a big ole bag of dicks.  
  
Steve wholeheartedly agreed with him.

 


End file.
